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Influencers predate social media marketing by centuries, dating back to the Roman era where the most famous gladiators endorsed products just like today’s athletes and sports personalities.
In today's influencer climate, you need not spend your days in a Colosseum or at the Olympics; you don’t even need to leave the comfort of your own home. And you become an influencer? So last century! Our pets could become the next generation of online influencers, and many are already well on their way to establishing themselves as Instagram celebrities.
As the influencer phenomenon continues to boom, we wanted to find out which of our animal companions made for the most influential personalities, and of course, which cats found themselves in the top spots.
From felines to canines, cougars to hedgehogs, animals have demonstrated a true talent in engaging the masses. Many of our furry friends don’t just rake in money through sponsored ads, but many also have their own merchandise, host live events, and one cat on our list has even developed their own premium food brand. So the next time you need cat food, don’t forget there are a host of influencer-brand foodstuffs that your closest buddy is itching to try.
By analyzing the Instagrams of pets with the most followers, likes, and engagement rates, we discovered the top 50 most influential pets. We also wanted to see just how much these animals could make for their loving owners. Using Instagram data we estimated how much each of these pets could make per Instagram post to discover who among them were the highest earners, and how much the most influential cats could pull in per post.
So, who are the most influential and highest earning pets on Instagram?
@white_coffee_cat
So, which pets find themselves in the top 10 richest animals in the world? Let’s take a look.
@worldwidetweets2
The world’s richest pet, a German shepherd known as Gunther VI, is owned by the Gunther Corporation who also manage the dog’s estate and fortune and through real estate investments have rocketed Gunther’s grandfather’s inherited fortune from a mere $80 million in 1992 to the $500 million reported today. It is no surprise that this lucky boy finds himself the richest pet in the world, five times richer than the runner-up on this list. To demonstrate his business ability and talent for real estate, it has been reported that Gunther has recently sold a mansion, formerly owned by Madonna, for $29 million in 2022. That’s one clever dog.
@nala_cat
Our runner-up in this list is not our highest-earning influencer, but rather our premium cat food owner, Nala Cat, with a net worth of $100 million. Jiffpom, our highest-earning canine pet influencer, is still a long way from catching up to our richest feline influencer, some $75 million behind, securing him a spot at number five on our Ultimate Pet Rich List.
@taylorswift
At the number three spot is Olivia Benson, the best friend and companion of artist Taylor Swift, who asks the question: is Instagram celebrity really the most profitable profession for your pet? With a whopping $97 million net worth, Olivia has found success outside of the world of Instagram influencing. The Scottish Fold earned her fortune starring alongside her owner in several music videos, has crafted her own merchandise line, and has had cameos in many big-budget ads, including for the likes of Diet Coke and Ned Sneakers.
At number four are the pampered Sadie, Sunny, Lauren, Layla, and Luke, Oprah Winfrey’s pet dogs, each of whom has their own trust fund and as a collective are set to inherit $30 million when Oprah passes. These dogs are not the only ones on this list who have or are set to inherit their fortunes. Gunther VI’s fortune was originally inherited and Choupette, late Karl Lagerfeld’s Birman, inherited $13 million after his death taking her to the sixth richest pet and the third richest cat. Pontiac, the late Betty White’s adopted Golden Retriever, will inherit $5 million after the recent loss of the American actress and comedian, making Pontiac the 7th richest pet in the world.
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While the highest earning pet influencer is an adorable canine, we love our feline buddies just as much, so we also made a list covering the 20 highest earning cats.
@nala_cat
It’s not surprising we see Nala Cat at the top spot on this list after securing second place on our world’s highest-earning pets list.
@smoothiethecat
Following Nala Cat comes the queen of fluff, Smoothie, so named for being both sweet and smooth. In 2018, this British Longhair from the Netherlands was hailed as the world’s most photogenic cat by US Weekly and has even been used as a muse for a mural in New Zealand.
@henrythecoloradodog
At number three is Baloo, part of the dynamic duo Henry and Baloo. Henry and Baloo are a dog and cat duo who travel the world together with their owners, Cynthia and Andre. Henry the German Shepherd, Husky, Boxer, Staffordshire Terrier, and Aussie mix, managed a following of 30,000 on his own, but it was only with the addition of Siamese mix Baloo that the pair's celebrity really took off, currently standing at over 2 million followers on their Instagram and pulling in $7,298 per post.
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Instagram earnings per post and average likes per post were calculated using the online tool on https://influencermarketinghub.com, where the upper limits of estimated earnings per post were reported.
All lists only include animals alive at the time of research.
All currency conversions made on 20/01/22 using Google Finance.
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The World’s Most Influential and Highest Earning Pets
Jiffpom
9.9m Followers
$32,906 Per Post
@jiffpom
At the top spot is the fluffy Pomeranian known as Jiffpom. With a follower count of almost 10 million, more than double that of our runner-up, Jiff takes the crown of the most influential pet on our list. This title is not his only claim to fame either: Jiff has two Guinness World Records, (appearing in the 2015 edition, for the fastest 10 meters on hind legs and fastest 5 meters on front paws), has featured in Katy Perry’s music video for Dark Horse and has published his own book titled I am Jiffpom. It’s fair to say this tiny canine has earned his spot at the top of the world’s most influential pets.
Raking in a crazy $32,906 per post, Jiffpom is so successful he pulls in more than double
Nala Cat
4.3m Followers
$14,419 Per Post
@nala_cat
Our runner-up, Nala Cat, boasts an impressive 4.3 million followers and is an influencer with her own brand of cat food. Nala tells a rags-to-riches story, from living in a shelter as a kitten to becoming the world's most influential cat, reaching an estimated $100,000,000 net worth stemming from endorsement deals, merchandise, and her premium cat food line.
Nala Cat, who stands at $14,419 per post, is the highest-earning cat in this Instagram Influencer line-up with only two other cats making it to the top 10 in this category.
Doug the Pug
3.8m Followers
$12,890 Per Post
@itsdougthepug
Doug the Pug takes a coveted position within the top three on our list, with an impressive 3.8 million followers. Similar to Jiffpom, Doug has featured in various music videos and for Katy Perry and Fall Out Boy, and has published his own book titled Doug the Pug: The King of Pop Culture, a New York Times bestseller. In Nashville, Tennessee, Doug the Pug Day takes place on May 20th, declared by the Mayor in 2019.
The self-proclaimed king of pop culture also proves himself successful when it comes to earnings, with an impressive $12,890 per post.
While dogs and cats dominate the influencer leaderboards, there is a host of diverse species of pet that can earn the big bucks. Of the 50 most influential pet Instagram accounts, there are two pigs, a fox, a hedgehog, a cougar, a squirrel, and two marmosets. It goes to show the pet influencer industry doesn’t discriminate when it comes to species, and no matter what pet you own any can reach Instagram celebrity status.
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